“If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from following your own pursuits on my holy day; If you call the sabbath a delight, the LORD’s holy day glorious; If you glorify it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs—then you shall delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth;I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isaiah 58:13-14
A favorite question that people seem to ask in small talk with a priest is “What do you like to do in your free time? In jest, I usually respond to that question with “What is free time?” It can seem in our day and age that we pride ourselves on staying busy. We delight in having a calendar that is filled with a cornucopia of events. The more we can pack into our schedule the more we boost our own ego and our own sense of pride and accomplishment. However, the prophet Isaiah tells us today to hold back on following our own pursuits and remember the Sabbath which means a day of rest.
Each human person has a need for rest and as Christians, we have a need to rest with the Lord. So, this Lenten season hit the pause button on your busy schedule and find time to be in the presence of God. When you waste time with God you will discover more joy and less anxiety. Life will once again take on that bright luster that in the midst of busyness can easily be forgotten.
During this lenten season what is one thing that God is calling on you to eliminate from your life so that you have more time to spend with Christ?
Lord, Free us from the burden of excessive work so we can truly experience the joy of your creation.
Today’s Reflection is by:
Fr. Joshua Hare
Did you know..
Fr. Joshua Hare is the Parochial Vicar at St. Paul's in St. Petersburg.
